Phoenix Suns forward Hakim Warrick had a royal rise

He is a fresh face whose path to a star-studded lifestyle as an NBA multimillionaire resembles "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

In west Philadelphia born and raised,

On the playground was where I spent most of my days,

Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool,

And all shootin some b-ball outside of school.

"That is pretty much how I spent most of my days," said Warrick, son of Queen Warrick.

There was trouble in the west Philly neighborhood but it stayed away from Warrick, 34th Street's nice, quiet kid.

He was one of four children raised on a crowded row of apartment buildings with a court across the street in a basketball-rich city. His love for hoops finally was complemented by a growth spurt. Warrick was a 5-foot-10 high school freshman who became a 6-6 junior en route to a 6-8 collegian.

Warrick joined the Suns in July, in large part to help mitigate the loss of All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire.

There have never been over-the-top expectations for Warrick - including this year after his unremarkable training camp. With Hedo Turkoglu brought into the fold, Warrick began the season as a reserve.

But he carved out his pick-and-roll, floor-running niche and became a Suns starter this week.

Slim chances

Warrick's arrival in the starting five is the latest turn during an evolution from his start in sports as a football lineman.

"I kept getting broken up," Warrick said. "I was skinnier than this."

He was Fred Warrick's little cousin to most. He wanted to be like Fred - and the family, many of whom lived on the block, knew it. Fred is six years older than Hakim, now 28, but still played one-on-one basketball often with the beanpole. The games kept Hakim from the area's violence, except for the assault Fred gave him.

"I used to elbow him, push him, hit him," said Fred, a 10-year European pro guard who played on the 15th-seeded Coppin State team that upset No. 2 seed South Carolina in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. "He'd say, 'You're cheating.' I told him I was just getting him ready for high school and college. He didn't like it. He wanted to win every time he stepped on the court."

Warrick attended his Philadelphia-area high school, University City, and averaged five points as a varsity junior. He put in minimal work academically and got less back. Able to redo his junior year, he transferred on a scholarship to nearby Friends' Central, a Quaker private school.

It might as well have been an Amish school for the culture shock. He was around the children of doctors and lawyers with Ivy League aspirations.

"I didn't get a chance to go outside anymore," he said. "People were like, 'Where ya at?' I was in the house studying. That turned my life around."

His physical growth caught up with his game and a star was born.

Big-time attention

"I got a database letter from Eastern Washington and I was the happiest kid on Earth," Warrick said. "I always used the attention other players got as motivation. Other guys had all the coaches following them and I had two from Chattanooga. That made me want to work harder to get on that level."

Before his senior year, he was a late injury replacement for the Nike All-American Camp, where Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim spotted him in a warm-up. More recruiting came but Warrick went to Syracuse, starring with Carmelo Anthony on the 2003 NCAA champions, playing four years and graduating.

He believed Golden State would draft him with the ninth pick in 2005, but the Warriors took Ike Diogu and a slide began. Warrick's agent told him to be ready for Phoenix at No. 21, but Memphis took him 19th.

He found his way to Phoenix after five inconsistent seasons with three teams - and seven coaches.

"I know it was frustrating to him," Fred Warrick said. "There was down time for him. He was mad and frustrated. I just told him to keep his head up. He had to be ready for an opportunity."

With Stoudemire's departure looming, the Suns marked Warrick as a free-agency option and, once Stoudemire opted for New York, offered a four-year, $17 million deal.

"I've watched ever since college what Steve (Nash) did for so many players - Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw and those guys," Warrick said. "I used to say, 'If I could just get in that system.'

"I still feel like I'm improving. I will become a better player."

Dudley's quest

Last season, Suns forward Jared Dudley received a dunk challenge from teammates. They set his season dunk total over/under at two. He wound up with five.

This season, the slimmer, trimmer Dudley pledged he would get 10 dunks. Through 17 games entering Thursday night, the Dudley dunk-o-meter has not budged, although he fell trying one in practice Tuesday. On Wednesday, he arrived at the practice court to find an outline of his body on the floor in tape.